The Arcanum
“Our charge is knowledge of the otherworldly, but it cannot be only that. To turn a blind eye toward the various threats of humanity we know of is to be complicit in our own destruction.”
- Dr. Sandeep D’Souza, Chancellor of the New Delhi Chapter House
Introduction
There are many mortal societies who seek knowledge of the supernatural, but none have the intellectual and academic resources of the Arcanum. Scholars in any field of esoterica are welcomed as members, for the society has found truth in the most unexpected places. Most Arcanists are academics, archeologists, librarians, mystics, and occultists — though there are a growing number who join because a brush with the supernatural sparked unending questions and a thirst for answers. This includes soldiers, spies, hackers, and even the odd bartender.
The Arcanum’s mandate, its “Syllabus,” is clear: the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, for the enlightenment and betterment of its members (and by extension, all of humanity). It accepts that there’s a world beyond what normal people see before them, and that through scholarship one can discover what is purely myth and what is truth hidden in the shadows.
It’s not a hidden society. The public knows of it as a prestigious, if odd, global academic society. It publishes a peer-reviewed journal on the esoteric called Annual Proceedings of the Arcanum. The journal accepts submissions from the public, which the Arcanum uses to discover new candidates, and public knowledge of Arcanists sometimes provides a way into social situations that would otherwise block access to rare texts and secrets.
Hostile encounters with the supernatural have changed the Arcanum’s demeanor. Arcanists are cautious when it comes to research into beings like vampires and werewolves, lest they and their precious research be destroyed. These encounters have left mental (and physical) scars on some members, who see knowledge and the ideal of bettering humanity to be a call for action against humanity’s secret predators.
Halls of the Arcanum
- - Orde Hall (London)
